Tangled Hearts (Passion in Paradise)

by Sarah O'Rourke

  “Okay, now I’ve had it,” Cal thundered, his jaw clenching. “Get the fuck out of here, Weller, before I’m forced to remove you from the premises myself,” he threatened, gripping the back of RJ’s shirt when the younger man spotted his sister’s angry tears and would have charged Brad. “Nobody, least of Melody, wants you here today. This is her moment to shine, you dick, and you’re ruining it for her. If you think I’ll allow some has-been boyfriend to take this day from her and shit all over it, you’re fucking insane.” Glancing over his shoulder at where the McKinnon sisters and their friends stood in a wall of united support behind them, he ordered, “Honor, call that Sheriff of yours and get him down here. Tell him that Melody’s brother and I are about to go eight kinds of hillbilly crazy on this fucker’s ass.”

  “Sorry, sugar, but we’re gonna have to stop your sinfully sexy ass from doing that,” a sultry voice drawled from the entryway to the store. “And you’re gonna need to put that down, too,” the woman said with a pointed look at where Honor McKinnon stood, holding her cell phone aloft in her hand.

  Whirling to face the newest voice that she’d hoped to never hear again, Melody groaned aloud as she realized her day was about to get a whole lot worse.

  Because there, standing just inside the double glass doors of her brand spankin’ new store were her two former best friends, Lyndsey and Melissa.

  And both of them held guns in their hands.

  “Well, fuck my life,” she muttered with sagging shoulders as her eyes met those of the woman who would have been her matron of honor. “What the hell, Lyndsey? You couldn’t be happy with massacring my would-be wedding? Now you want to gut my grand opening, too? What. The. Hell!”

  ~~~***~~~

  Seeing the unbalanced shine to the would-be captors’ eyes, Cal tried to unobtrusively draw Melody behind him and out of the line of fire, but, as usual, his stubborn woman remained planted at his side. “Princess, I’m gonna need you not to provoke the people with the guns,” Cal requested in a harsh whisper against her ear, keeping his eyes trained on the women glaring at his Melody.

  “These hookers? Fuck them! I’m done with tramps ruining my…mmmphhh!” Melody began to rage as Cal clapped his hand over Melody’s moving mouth. “She didn’t mean that, ladies” Cal assured the fuming gun-toting duo calmly.

  “Lyndsey? Missy! What the hell are you two doing?” Brad asked, unbuttoning his suit jacket and propping his hands on his hips as he stared at Melody’s former friends and two of the women he’d been screwing on the side. “I told you both weeks ago after Christmas at my parents’ house that we’re finished! I want to be with Melody. I made an unfortunate mistake with both of you and…”

  “So, we’re just going to be classified as unfortunate mistakes, huh, Mr. High and Mighty?” Lyndsey interrupted with a hiss as her eyes narrowed on Brad, her gun hand trembling slightly as she swung the gun toward him. “Do you hear that, Missy? We’re mistakes in his book!”

  “Yeah, mistakes he enjoyed fucking two, sometimes three times a week for over a year before Little Miss Perfect walked in on him nailing you,” Melissa spat, her eyes hateful as they found Melody. “Tell us, Brad… what the fuck was so special about her that Lyndsey and I couldn’t do for you? Melody has always walked around with a stick up her ass. Lyndsey and I gave you everything you asked for… and you dump us to go crawling back to her?” she yelled, jabbing her gun in Melody’s direction.

  While Brad stupidly scoffed at the two women, Cal tried to shield Melody with the bulk of his body. “Seriously?” Cal heard the nitwit spit back at the women holding the guns. “Look at you both,” Brad continued to remark haughtily.

  Cal watched as both Lyndsey and Melissa looked down at themselves, scanning their barely-there clothes. Both women were wearing short dresses that barely covered their assets and high heels that would make any ho proud to claim them into their club, but both could carry off the look well in a slutty kind of way. Neither held a torch to Melody, but both chicks had rockin’ bodies and pretty enough faces. Before Melody, Cal could dispassionately admit that he might have fucked them if he’d met them in a bar or something. The problem was that neither woman possessed Melody’s innate class, her sweet charm or her kind heart. No, the only thing these tramps had going for them was their looks… and those would fade in time. They’d definitely fade a hell of a lot faster behind bars.

  And that is where Callum couldn’t wait to send them for what they’d done to Melody.

  Because if one thing had become entirely clear, it was the fact that they had the women behind the attempts on his woman’s life standing right in front of them.

  And those two demented divas were going to pay for almost taking her light from his life.

  As soon as he found a way out of this that didn’t get them all killed.

  Slowly lifting her head and narrowing her eyes at the man she’d been sleeping with on and off for years, Lyndsey’s mouth got tight. “Well, Bradley, it’s good to finally know what you really think of the women that have been taking care of those deep, dark needs of yours. You know, you’ve hurt my feelings. I don’t think I’m interested in hearing anything else from you. Are you, Missy?” she asked without looking at the other woman.

  “Nope, I’d rather concentrate on handling the real reason we came up here to the back of beyond,” Missy retorted, jerking her silk scarf from around her neck as she marched toward Brad. Pressing the gun to the center of his forehead, she gestured to Melody’s brother. “Get over here and gag him,” she ordered RJ. “And if you try anything, Rhythm, I’ll put a bullet in you,” she warned sharply, tossing the scrap of silk to the man as he approached.

  “You know,” RJ muttered, “I’m gonna cooperate for two reasons. First, I don’t wanna listen to this fucktard’s voice any longer. And second, I don’t wanna survive the Sandbox just to have some bitter assed Barbie doll with a bad attitude put a hole in me.”

  Cal couldn’t help smiling in spite of the dire situation. That was just like RJ. Put the man under pressure and he became a fuckin’ standup comedian. Besides, now RJ was in a position where he could read the cues that Cal sent him when they had an opportunity to overpower the psychotic slut sisters.

  “Does anybody else find it ironic that two whores have us all held hostage?” Cal heard the woman he knew was called Maggie Winstead ask. “Seriously, Patience, if I get blood stains on my Manolo Blanicks, these Botox infused bimbos are gonna be real sorry.”

  “Dear God, that woman is certifiable,” Cal groaned softly, shaking his head as he gave thanks that the mouthy redhead was somebody else’s problem by the frustrated look of the tall man standing beside her. He knew it was the Sheriff’s brother, and he vaguely remembered Harmony calling him Ice. By the way he held himself, he instinctively knew that the other guy was a military man, too. He’d bet the guy was Special Forces. Maybe a Ranger. Even now, the man had his body angled to protect Maggie and Honor. And either the guy was copping a feel of Maggie’s ass or he was reaching into her purse for something.

  Cal hoped like hell it was for what he hoped it was.

  “Woman,” he heard the man say with a lethal quietness, “If you draw those two crazies’ attention over here, I will personally feed every last one of those fancy shoes you love so much to my Rottweiler.”

  Jerking his hand from her mouth, Melody turned her head to look at Cal. “Maggie loves her shoes. He must mean business.”

  “Shhhh,” Cal hushed her as Melody caught the attention of the two crazed cunts holding them all prisoner.

  “Ohhhh, isn’t that sweet, Missy. Looks like our perfect little Miss Melody has captured the heart of yet another man. Too bad she won’t be keeping it for long,” Lyndsey simpered, jutting out her lower lip in feigned sympathy.

  “Why do you suddenly hate me so much, Lyndsey Beth?” Cal heard Melody bark before he could do anything to stop her, her little body standing stiffly against his as she fumed. “Seriously,” he listened to Melody continue, “I di
dn’t sleep with your man on top of your antique mahogany table! I didn’t screw your fiancé in a position that defied comprehension on the eve of your wedding!”

  “Ewww, who does that?” Harmony McKinnon Stone huffed, pulling a revolted face before her husband, Jake, pulled her behind him.

  “Babe, maybe you should…”

  “Maybe you should just hush, Big Sexy,” Lyndsey advised, looking Callum over as she swung the gun toward him. “Cute as you are, I doubt you’d still be as handsome if you were filled with bullet holes.”

  “Don’t you dare threaten him, Lyndsey,” Melody ordered furiously as she tried frantically to step around Cal and face her tormenter.

  “Damn it, woman,” Cal growled, pressing the back of his body against hers and keeping her out of the firing lane. “Would you settle down before one of these crazy bitches decides to pull the trigger!”

  “Yes, Melody,” Missy said bitchily, “Do settle down. You’re causing SUCH a scene. Everybody knows the perfect Melody doesn’t so much as flinch in the face of drama.”

  Melody’s head popped up over Cal’s shoulder. “A scene? Are you nuts? Your dress alone causes a scene, Melissa! Not to mention the fact that I know exactly how many times you’ve had to have antibiotics for your STDs. Have you told Brad that he might need shots?”

  “You witch!” Melissa hissed. “I only had the clap once!”

  “This is better than my afternoon shows,” Cal heard the elderly woman standing beside Faith McKinnon cackle as she grabbed one of the gourmet candy bars that Melody had stocked by the registers for those interested in a high calorie impulse purchase. Tearing the paper off, she took a big bite before Honor ripped the treat from her hands. “Hey!” the old lady complained. “That one is mine, Honor! If you want one, I’ll be happy to steal a bar for you, too. ”

  “Aunt Orla,” Honor hissed, grabbing the old woman’s arm. “Now is not the time for any of your antics. Those women have guns.”

  “Yeah, I see ‘em, but I’m old. Nobody shoots the old lady unless they wanna take the express train to Hell. Besides, these gals need me,” the woman called Orla grumbled. “Their show had slowed down like we was approachin’ intermission, and I’m a mite hungry. Parched, too.” Looking at the women holding them hostage, Orla tilted her white head as she considered them with a discerning eye. “Alright, you two hoochie coochies, either serve an old lady some lemonade or tell us whatcha y’all got cooked up for us in Act Two?”

  Great, Cal thought, exchanging an incredulous look with RJ before they both turned their attention back to the situation. The old woman was gonna get them all whacked by a pair of homicidal whores.

  “Listen, you saggy bag of bones,” Missy hissed, her maniacal eyes swinging toward the matriarch of the McKinnon women. “Why don’t you quit flapping your dentures and shut it?”

  “I beg your pardon, but these are my own chompers,” Orla decreed with imperious fearlessness. “Why don’t you come closer? I’ll be happy to tear a hunk out your skinny rear end and show you!”

  “Auntie!” All four McKinnon sisters squealed when the old woman would have stormed forward, each one grabbing her and hauling her back to their group.

  “Enough!” Melody yelled, tugging Cal’s arm. “Look, Missy, this is between you, me, Lyndsey and Brad. Stop threatening all these innocent people and let them go! Then, you two can punish me however you see fit. Just stop swinging those guns around. You wanna shoot somebody; shoot me!”

  “Babe, no,” Cal denied when she tried to wiggle around him again. “Stop drawing their fucking attention, God dammit; these bitches are unstable.”

  “It’s me they want, Cal. I’m putting all these nice people in danger,” she returned frantically, shaking his arm. “I can’t let anyone else get hurt because my two former friends have obviously flipped the hell out and hold me responsible for some perceived sin I’ve committed toward them. You’ve got to move and let me talk to them.”

  “Like fuck I do,” Cal growled, glaring back at her. “Do we need to have the ‘You’re mine’ talk again, Princess?” he asked, fighting the urge to save the crazy cunts the trouble and strangle her himself.

  “People are going to get hurt, Cal,” Melody whispered back worriedly. “I can’t be responsible for that.”

  “You’re not,” Cal clipped. “The she-demons will be. And I refuse to allow you to be one of their casualties.”

  “Awwww, look at ‘em, Lynds. I actually think they love each other,” Missy spat with a scowl. “Do you think she loves him as much as we love Brad?”

  “I dunno,” Lyndsey replied conversationally. “I bet if we shot him, we’d get a pretty good idea of how she feels.”

  The gun went off before anyone realized the batshit-crazy bitch was serious.

  Chapter Twenty-Four: Bullets and Bombshells

  Melody’s raw scream of terror as Cal’s blood spilled over the trembling hand she held pressed to his arm echoed off the walls of the bookstore. “What did you do?” she shrieked shrilly at a markedly unconcerned Lyndsey. God, if she ever got that gun away from the horrible woman, she was going to shove it up her ass and pull the trigger, she vowed to herself while she tried to staunch the flow of Cal’s bright red blood.

  “Babe, it’s a through and through,” Cal assured her, his pained eyes going to where Dr. Daniels stood blocking his own wife from any potential stray bullets. “Doc, tell her that it’ll be okay before she completely loses it,” he ordered, wrapping his free arm around Melody and trying to drag her closer so that he could use his body to protect her if the stupid cunts decided to start firing at them again.

  Squinting as he tried to see the wound for the blood running down his arm, the doctor asked, “I see the point of entry. Does it have an exit wound?”

  “Melody, baby, look for a hole in the back of my arm,” she heard Cal direct her gently as he tried to raise his arm for her.

  “There’s so much blood,” Melody worried out loud, her fingers gingerly probing at his arm as she looked for a place where the bullet might have exited. God, she was no nurse, and she absolutely abhorred the sight and smell of blood. Even now, she could feel her stomach rebelling at the visual his injury offered…and don’t even get her started on the coppery stench.

  Knowing his baby sister’s aversion to the gorier parts of life, RJ ignored the women holding the guns and crossed the room back to his sister, moving her gently aside so that he could get a look at his best friend’s arm. “There’s an exit wound, man.”

  “Just keep pressure on it then,” Dr. Daniels ordered through barely moving lips as he glared at the two hostage takers.

  “Why?” Melody asked on a yell as the crowd shifted nervously around them. Lifting her hands and wiping at her tear streaked cheeks, she forced herself to take a deep breath. “Tell me what I did to either of you! Tell me what he did to you,” she demanded, nodding her head at Cal.

  “For one thing, the lovesick bastard just kept saving your miserable life,” Lyndsey retorted bitterly. Keeping her gun aimed at where Cal held Melody to his side, still partially blocking her, the blonde haired woman just shook her head at them. “See, if you’d just have let nature take its natural course after I made my special cookies for her, this would all be over. She’d be over. And Bradley, over there,” she said, indicating where Brad sat, wide-eyed and shaking, “He’d belong to me and Missy forever.”

  “God!” Melody railed, tipping her head back to yell at the ceiling. “If you want the sorry bastard so freaking badly, just take him with you and GO! You don’t need anybody here for that. You certainly don’t need to hurt anybody. Just gather your fucking prize of a man and LEAVE, Lyndsey! I don’t WANT him. I left him, remember? You and Melissa have NO competition from me. Don’t you understand that? I do not now nor will I ever want again a single, solitary thing to do with Bradley Weller!! He’s a fucking asshole and you three deserve each other. ”

  “Well, aren’t you sweet?” Melissa asked with an acidic laugh. “But
it’s just not that simple.” Turning to glare at her partner in crime, Missy sneered, “I told you that a hit and run was too risky, Lynds. You should have just let me invite her out for a drink like I wanted. One quick slide of a switchblade against her jugular and our problem would be a dim memory.” Shifting hateful eyes back on Melody, she continued. “But oh, no! Miss Prissy, here, thought you deserved better. Because of Lyndsey’s aversion to a little mess, she insisted I do something less violent.”

  “Considering it was me that got hit by that car,” Melody’s assistant manager, Austin, interjected, “I can assure you lovely lunatics that it was plenty violent,” he informed them as he kept his back pressed against Sunshine’s chest, pushing her tiny body into a corner between the bookshelves.

  “Melody, the bottom line is that as long as you’re alive, Brad is never going to give up trying to crawl his way back between your legs,” Lyndsey explained. “Not because of his unrequited love, though. I don’t think Brad has the ability to feel much beyond the pleasure of getting his dick wet. No, the thing is, he doesn’t get his parents money without you.”

  “What?” Melody balked, her eyes flashing to where Brad shook his head frantically at Lyndsey and Melissa.

  “Yeah,” Missy added. “His mommy and daddy love you that much. No you, no inheritance. When Brad’s parents made that mandate, he dropped us like a bad habit.”

  “Maybe because you were, in fact, bad habits,” Patience muttered under her breath, hissing in a breath though her teeth when Faith pinched her arm viciously.

  “This is about money? That’s why he kept making a nuisance of himself?” Melody growled, shooting Brad a venomous look of contempt. If it hadn’t been for Cal’s uninjured arm keeping her anchored to him, she would have lunged toward him and scratched his eyeballs out of his head.

  “Did you think it was your winning personality and golden pussy?” Melissa cackled maniacally. “Bottom line is that the only way Brad’s parents will ever give up on the idea of a reconciliation for you two is if one of you is dead. And since I love Brad’s money and happen to think his dick does a decent job of easing the ache for me, I think that person should be you,” she declared conversationally, aiming her gun toward Melody.